Vinyl Buyer’s Checklist

Vinyl is a practical and waterproof option for flooring, especially well suited for mudrooms and bathrooms. Choosing vinyl flooring for your home is a major decision. Actually, it’s a series of several decisions. There are so many types and styles of vinyl and so many other aspects to consider, the task can be daunting. Although not exhaustive, this checklist will walk you step by step through the main considerations that will ultimately help lead you to the perfect vinyl flooring for your home.

Your home

When choosing flooring, discuss the following considerations with one of our specialists so he or she can help steer you to the best product for your particular home.

Consider who spends time in your home. Don’t forget to include visitors and pets. Since your flooring will likely be down for several years, you may want to consider future children or pets as well.

Taking into account your lifestyle and the daily use of your floors, rank the importance of vinyl’s scratch resistance, durability and cleanability.

Consider your environment. Is your space affected by sun exposure or other elements?

CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN

Familiarize yourself with the different types of vinyl flooring products and choose which will work best for your project. First, determine if you are interested in sheet vinyl or modular vinyl, often called luxury vinyl tile (LVT).

Some vinyl products can be glued down to the subfloor, while loose lay sheet vinyl and floating LVT sit on top of the subfloor without glue. Glue down is recommended for bathrooms or rooms requiring more than one seam, whereas floating and loose lay are better over poor subfloor conditions.

LVT can be flexible or have a rigid core. In homes with damaged or rough subfloors, rigid LVT may be a better choice, since flexible vinyl can telegraph imperfections.

Identify your decorating style and gather samples of existing paint, fabrics and adjacent flooring. Also take photos of existing furniture and cabinets.

Determine your preference for vinyl aesthetics including a variety of tiles, planks, wood and stone looks.

Consider the different types of wearlayers (protective coatings) to determine which is best for your home. Vinyl no-wax for light traffic, urethane for normal to heavy traffic and enhanced urethane for the heaviest traffic.

SHOP SMART

Measure your space to estimate your square footage. Multiply length times width of each room to equal square footage. To account for waste, add 10% to the total (multiply by 1.10) for a good working estimate.

Figure in vinyl flooring price, installation and additional fees to create a realistic budget and to accurately compare products.

Consider the type of shopping experience you want and then look for a retailer near you. Many stores sell flooring, but independent retailers are flooring experts with an emphasis on customer service.

Before you purchase, read all warranty information carefully to fully understand any requirements.

INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE

Although installing vinyl can be a DIY project, talk to your retailer about the benefits of choosing a professional installer. Quality installation can affect the success of your vinyl floor.

Vinyl flooring should be delivered two days ahead of installation to the room(s) where it will be installed for proper acclimation.

Prepare your home for installation. Move everything out of the room(s) and clear a generous path to the room(s), removing all breakables. Ensure subfloors are clean and free of debris.

Read the manufacturer’s literature to learn about proper care and maintenance for your new vinyl flooring.